Shoes Books

I bought this book as a limited edition. I had been trying to get a copy of the book for a long time and when I finally did, I was thoroughly dissappointed.

It seems that that author has got most of her information and history about Itzhak Perlman from his own interviews on television or video etc. She obviously did not interview the violinist himself.

I am aware that the book is written for teens but it has to be said that I do not advise anyone to buy this book. Moreover the book is patronizing of Perlman's handicap and I find it hard to believe that Perlman every authorized this writing.

This is a beautifully-written biography about a great artist whose disability did not prevent him from attaining great heights. The story of his life from his birth in Israel, his struggle with polio, his musical education in the U.S. and his subsequent enormous success both personally and professionally is told in a concise and interesting manner that is inspiring for adults as well as young people. The reader is also offered a fascinating glimpse into the world of classical music and the concert stage as well as an illuminating, illustrated chapter about the history and structure of violins. The only problem is that it is so difficult to obtain a copy of this book. The publisher should consider reissuing it in a new edition.

I thought that the book was great. It did mention a lot his disability and how it makes him look clumsy sometimes but I think that that isn't the point of the book. The point is that it inspires young performers to go out there and fulfill their dreams and not let anything stand in their way.

Fiddler to the world was a great book, although I somestimes felt as though the author was trying to pity Itzhak. He dosen't mind his disability! In the book, she gave a lot of great information, from his parents, to his family. But what really got me is that she sometimes seemed to mention his disability just to get the story across. She would make references to how he must get on stage. That is okay, but the way she did it was questionable. She made it seem as though he was a klutz, which he is not!!!!! She did do a great job of conveying the sense that he really is a great person, no matter what. She treated him fairly, except for those few spots where she went on a pity heist.

Loved the calendar. Great art and thoughts. Big spaces for each date. Lots of "white" space to jot notes into. The cover was darling, but fell off by February. A more durable "soft" cover would have been just as good as the hard back and would have stood up to my family's abuse.

The product was sent to me with a damaged front. It was not wrapped or covered in any way. Just put in the amazon box with my other purchases. Inside pages were fine. I did not have time to send it back or call for a new one as it was Christmas.

The cover is fabulous, but I was disappointed with the artwork inside this calendar. The only shoes I found to be truly interesting were a few with a Christmas theme in the month of December. The quotes about shoes however were so fun to read that I read through the entire calendar when I first opened it up.

As far as how it functions to keep me organized, the format/layout is great. There is plenty of room to write multiple appointments on each day and even enough blank space around the pages for me to jot down small lists. I also really like the way it is bound -- like a hard-cover spiral-bound notebook.

There are no blank pages at the back of the calendar. I have had Mary Englebreit calendars for the last 5-6 years and I do miss her blank pages for notes and lists at the back of the calendar.

This calendar is very cute! When I gave it to a girlfriend for a gift, several other immediately wanted to know where I got it. The cover is the nicest part -- there's actual 3-D beads that make up the strapping on the cover shoe. It's good quality and shipping well to preserve the cover detail. I just wish the inside pages had larger images of the shoes and more explanation of what they are or the inspiration for why they were created. I do like the larger day calendar space. It really helps when you have multiple appointments in one day.

I have read all of the "Cathy" books and have enjoyed them all. If you are already a Cathy fan you will not be disappointed when you read this book. Cathy is funny to us because most of us can relate to her situations. Enjoy!!

I read something on the Net that said: now that Cathy's been downsized, she should go back to college and train for a new field! I thought that was a great idea and so was disappointed when she went back to her company. I also think she should get Irving out of her life as he's obviously not going to change at all. As well, what happened to Andrea, Cathy's feminist friend? She used to be so cool and reasonable and now when we do see her she's this harassed mother with two monster kids and a boring job.

Oh, what can I say...I have always loved Cathy. I read a borrowed copy a short while ago and I'm getting my own copy now. I'm sure many of us are "Cathy" ourselves in many ways...our battles with diets, nagging moms, ex-boyfriends, etc. This is yet another wonderful collection and what better subject than "shoes". Men just don't understand how far a woman would go just to get that perfect pair to match a special outfit. As long as they look good on our feet, who cares how uncomfortable (or how costly) they are! The carzy shoe sales, the forever-same looking salesperson, the dog who loves eating shoes...all your favourites are definitely back to make you laugh...and to walk out the door right away to buy another new pair! Defiitely recommend it.

I am sooo tired of this strip that I could scream. Here we have one of the worst attempts to belittle all that is good in America. What was Cathy doing with her boss anyways? I thought we girls moved away from that years ago? And what about her "boyfreind" could he be just a little more dishabille? What was puzzling to me was the fact that Cathy gets away with her tirades and no one has the sense to stop her. Please bring the original "Cathy" back...

I really loved this book. I have no experience in creating clothing for my 15½" Franklin Mint fashion dolls & the shoes that came with the dolls are a major disappointment. I hope to be able to rectify that soon with my husband's help in creating lasts & molds.

I gave the book 4 stars because, although the creation & design processes are detailed very thoroughly, there is a dearth of good photos of finished shoes. Many of the shoes that are shown tend to be somewhat hidden under the hem of a doll's outfit, the folds of artistically draped fabric, or the lid of a colorful candy box.

As suggestions for a second edition: If I could re-edit this book, I would add more finished shoes, add patterns for other popular fashion dolls (such as Franklin Mint vinyls,) & change the typeface font to something less fussy, with full margin justification.

This book is pretty on the inside and outside. Lots of colored photos. Plenty of photos of the shoes they have made and who they were made for. But no patterns to go with any of them except two. Very involved detailed process for making the solid shape to build your shoes upon. Brief explanations of various shoes over the centuries is nice, but don't expect to be able to design a shoe from many of the line drawings of shoes. The drawings are crude with no variations for each time period. They are not in color and mention no fabrics or popular colors for the time period. Nice glossary of tools used, shoe parts and techniques. There are 8 sources where you can purchased parts, etc. And last but not least there is a nice full page plug for the new upcoming book. I gave a three because the book is pretty, photos done nicely and process explanations were clear.

I make and design clothes for the Madame Alexander doll Cissy and have always been frustrated with the scarcity/lack of selection/high price of shoes that I can buy for this doll. So, when I saw this book advertised in one of the many doll magazines I browse monthly, I knew I had to have it. The instructions are fairly easy to follow though sometimes the photographs showing the various steps are not located on the page facing the written instruction (the sole reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5). The instructions for making a permanent last were very helpful. This book contains patterns for lasts & shoes for Cissy and Gene in particular, but the instructions and methods in this book could be applied to many dolls though I wouldn't recommend it for people wanting to make anything for Barbie. There are also instructions for making molds for heels (if you have a high-heeled doll like Cissy or Gene). Following these instructions, I successfully made my first pair of shoes, and, because I made them myself, I was able to customize them to the outfit I had made. A great book for making shoes for dolls for whom you cannot cheaply and easily buy decent shoes.

This is a rather simple reading book, but perfect for the beginner! My daughter is learning to read in school. So we bought her this simple Level 1 reader book. She read through quickly and was pleased with herself once she was done because of the ease and rythemic flow of the book. I was pleased because it was a nice simple book to begin reading, and because I felt that the ryming aspect motivated her to want to read more (she was very proud when she finished). Thumbs up!

The book is written in rhyme with a cadence closely resembling "One, two, buckle my shoe." It protrays a happy girl's life (Barbi's) revolving entirely around shopping, getting dressed and going out with boys. Ken has the presence of a manikin. There are many children's book that teach counting through rhyme and rhythm. Most that I have seen are more substantive, more human, and more fun than this book.

My daughter is 6 yrs old and is just learning to read. She and I were reading this book for the first time, and less than half way through she caught on to the pairs numbers and rhythming words. It was nice to see her make the contection. She was pleased with her achievement.

This is small, ree-e-e-e-elly small. Don't get it for anybody whose eyesight is not keen or prescription not current bcuz they're going to struggle. I bought it as a gift so am including a lovely magnifying glass with it...as a joke...kinda.

I've had these calendars for two years in a row and I really like the size of it. It takes up hardly any desk space and looks really cute on the refrigerator. I'm getting ready to order my new one!

The calendar graphics are very nice, but be aware that when this says "mini' calendar, that is just what it means. This calendar is only about 2 inches by 3 inches, while very cute, it is very very small. The JTRS shoe that I have setting next to the calendar is taller.

Great book with lots of handy ideas and tricks to help keep things clean the "natural" way.

Rather cute title but the books is nearly useless. The suggestions are all things that everyone has know for years. I didn't find anything that I didn't already know. It is also a random assortment of tips that covers lots of things but also omits more things. Save your money.
Carolyn

WE FOUND IT VERY HELPFUL. THEY INCLUDE THE OLD GRANDMA CURES AND MONEY SAVING IDEAS. WE BOUGHT IT FOR SOMEONE AS A HOUSE WARMING GIFT.

"The Sneaker Book: Anatomy of an Industry and An Icon" is well-written and excellently researched. The badly-placed black-and-white sneaker photos and its academic tone, however, offer the book as an informative but slightly boring term paper on the sneaker industry. Casual readers will probably (and rightly) want more color and certainly more sneaker photographs, but these flaws do not seriously hamper the book.

For a short book, Vanderbilt puts forth a lot of good information about athletic shoes, their history, and their meaning, especially among kids today. If you love sneakers, you'll love this book...

On the whole, I liked this informative book. Mr. Vanderbilt does an admirable job of giving us an insider's perspective on the athletic footwear industry and how it has insinuated itself into popular culture. I also enjoyed the stories and comments in the sidebars which bolster his perspective.

That said, the major thing that mars this book was the decision to place the photos of the sneakers along the spine. In terms of design, it was a poor decision, and it detracts from the text instead of enhancing it. I found myself flattening the book out as much as I could so I could see the photos, but even with that, the whole illustrative purpose of the photos was lost. If this book is ever updated, I suggest that the photos be placed somewhere that the reader can see them in their entirety.

Carolyn Keene once again shows that she has her finger on the pulse of what young fans want to read about. This time, the background of the mystery is soccer team rivalry!

Nancy and her friends are all on the same soccer team, and when a new girl moves into town and joins their team, strange things start to happen to disrupt practice. You just can't help but suspect the new girl, because she used to play on the rival team!

Could she be the one who put salt in the drinking water, put equipment in the trash and even slimed someone's shoe? Don't go jumping to conclusions. It's Nancy Drew that will crack the case of The Soccer Shoe Clue!

Recommended.

Cute book, but too simple for a 9-year old.

I think it was a good book, but when Nancy found clues in all the books that I've read, it was the most interesting. One that I really liked was called the "Sercret at Solaire".I read alot of Nancy Drew books from my school library.But the Soccer Shoe Clue was one of the best.

While Keeper of Soles is suggested for 6 - 10 year olds, I'd say it has to be a pretty mature 6-year-old to find. the whimsy and clever punning in this book about death.

Bateman portrays the Grim Reaper as a fellow cloaked in black who comes knocking on your door. In this case, he approaches a clever shoemaker who manages to outsmart Death by making shoes for him, first sandals, then boots, walking, shoes, and soft slippers.

Finally, when persistent Death returns saying he has come for the cobbler's soul, the wily shoemaker replies, "And what do you think I've been giving you all these many years? I've given you sole after sole."

We'll leave it to readers to discover how Death responds to that.

Colombian born artist Yayo paints brightly in acrylic and finds humor in this story by portraying Death as being so happy with his new shoes that he joyfully leaps over gravestones and the cobbler as making a pattern for sandals in the shape of coffins.

Somewhat offbeat for a children's book, so know your youngster well.

- Gail Cooke

For some reason stories about average joes outsmarting death incarnate make for wonderful picture books. There was the Pura Belpre winner of 2003, "Just a Minute" by Yuyi Morales and the classic folktale of, "The Man Who Caught Death In a Bag". Outwitting the man with the scythe is a universal activity. All the more reason then that a resident of Tacoma, Washington and a Columbian resident of Canada should join together to bring us the newest addition to this already well-populated genre. Now as books go, "Keeper of Soles" had its points. Its author is excellent and its one-namer of an illustrator is unspeakably talented. Unfortunately their two styles mix about as well as oil and water. This is a fine book, but an unfortunate pairing of two perfectly good artists who just don't work together very well.

Colin's a heckuva cobbler. He makes good quality shoes for all kinds of people regardless of who they are or what their income might be. As shoemakers go, Colin is a stand-up fella. Then one day there's a knock on the door and who should it be standing there but the grim reaper himself. Death starts to inform Colin that his time has come when the cobbler happens to notice that old grimmy hasn't any footwear. Quick as a wink he takes an order for a pair of sandals, "They would go with the robe", and tells Death to come back in a month. In a month he does, but by then Colin is convinced that good-quality boots are what Death really needs. This goes one for years and years until one day the man in black tells Colin that time is finally up. It's time to hand over his soul. Colin counters with the point that he's given Death tons of soles over the years. This amuses Death who finally concedes the point and tells Colin that he'll come for him when the soles of the shoes have worn out. And since these are good quality shoes we're talking about, "It would be many years before Death would stand on his doorstep again".

I know my Ingmar Bergman, so the "Seventh Seal" reference on the cover of this book did not go unappreciated. In fact many of the illustrator Yayo's little touches were delightful. Before I read the text of this book I loved flipping through the pictures. On one page Yayo has made Death's tonsils look like little boots. On another, Colins' bed is in the shape of a comfy little clog. I have no doubt that there will be countless parents, grandparents, godparents, and other potential purchasers around America who will pick this book up at their local bookstore, flip through it with a measured hand, and buy it on the strength of the pictures alone. This, unfortunately, would be a mistake. I want to make it perfectly clear that I think that Yayo is talented beyond all measure. Are we clear on this? Good, because there's a catch. Yayo is talented, but Yayo also didn't seem to be reading this book very closely. Teresa Bateman has written a measured fable with a healthy dose of foreshadowing, potential for danger, and steady folklore. Yayo, in contrast, has illustrated this book like it was a fabulous Death-centric comedy. The two, sadly, are at odds with one another. For example, near the end of the book Death insists that now is the time for Colin to finally die. Colin, cleverly replies, "And what do you think I've been giving you all these many years?...I've given you sole after sole". A sly joke in the face of impending death. On the opposite page, however, we see death standing over Colin while wearing rainbow-colored hightop platform shoes with pink sides and lime-green shoelaces. The picture is great but it doesn't work with the text. Often Yayo prefers to lighten his scenes with what can only be called oddly-timed levity. If the words matched Yayo's high-spirited let's-just-throw-every-silly-shoe/death-reference-into-a-bowl-and-mix-it-all-together style that might be one thing. But Bateman is calling on a long tradition of tales in which people face down death with only the power of their brains. To counter that with fun but poorly chosen images just cheapens the whole endeavor.

When I showed this book to a colleague they took one look at the image of Death on the back cover walking his shoes like they were puppies and said, "The Fifth Avenue moms are gonna love this". That's exactly right. People really into shoes and high-end primary-colored fashions will gravitate towards "Keeper of Soles" and find a really good story inside. They'll also find mighty inventive illustrations. Personally I think the editor did a poor job when they paired Yayo with Bateman, but that's just my opinion. On the whole it's a nice book but because of the disconnect between word and image you'll just have to believe me when I say that the similar, "Just a Minute" by Yuyi Morales is the superior version. A good try from two very talented artists.